WHY STUDY MINDFULNESS?

According to Wikipedia, “Rumination is the focused attention on the symptoms of one’s distress, and on its possible causes and consequences, as opposed to its solutions.”

Are you or someone you know a worrier? Do you spend a lot of time thinking about what could go wrong? I agree, it’s hard to tell your mind to stop thinking about a problem. However, there is a point where worrying will have no benefit towards the outcome at all. Some things are truly out of your control. Would you believe that controlling your thoughts is a skill that is built just like building a muscle, it’s gained with repetition and practice. The truth is most of the time our minds are running wild and we don’t even know it.

When we study mindfulness, we train to become aware of the thoughts that flow though our consciousness. It is actually a very powerful tool to have. We not only become more aware of our thoughts but we also begin to notice our reactions to circumstances. We feel our heart rate speeding up, we become aware we are having a stressful reaction to a situation. We can take a moment to step back and not allow our emotions to get the best of us.

Once you begin training in mindfulness you develop skills that allow you to quickly get back to a calmer mindset. We can make more clear decisions and are less likely to REACT out of emotion. How many times have you wished you had reacted differently after you had a moment to clear your head? When you are calm you can focus on finding a solution, when you are upset you are more likely to act out. We all have experienced that before. Training your mind not to run away with itself really is just like building a muscle or training for any skill really- the more you practice the better you get.

Being able to tame an uncontrolled mind is truly one of the most powerful tools you can wish to have. 

For a complementary mindfulness training session please contact Pivot to schedule an appointment.